A John Mayer concert is a showcase of creativity. One could talk about the guitar playing, the lyrics, the lighting, the sound, and the visual effects. I recently had the chance to witness him in concert at the arena in Nashville. All those creative elements were present in spades. But what really fascinated me was the structure of the concert itself. Mayer presented it in five chapters.

Chapter One included the full band. Chapter Two was an acoustic set. Chapter Three was the John Mayer Trio. Chapter Five was the encore and epilog. It was a fascinating way to present a show. The way the sets were broken in chapters added interest and intrigue. It was broken up in a way that kept the collective audience on the edge of its seat.

The form of a regular concert is the band playing one song after another, until finally they end with an encore. It becomes rather predictable. But break it up into chapters and it’s a whole new ballgame, as it were. One simple tweak to a concert and the creative sparks fly.

It seems to me the same type of tweak could apply to our own creativity. Split your task up into chapters. Focus each “chapter” on a different form or function. For instance, why not split your day up into chapters. Each hour of the day could be a different one, with a different focus, or a different task. The simple variety is sure to bring new thoughts and ideas all along the way.

Another way to split a day into chapters would be to find a new place to do your work for each “chapter” of the day. Start your work in the office. Then move to a coffee shop. Go back to the office. Do some work at home. Make some notes before you go to bed. You’ll be surprised at the creativity that springs up.

How would you use the idea of chapters to be a springboard to your own creativity?

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